Freezing device



Feb. 24, 1959 A.-J. FREI' ,8 5

' FREEZING DEVICE Filed Npv. 12. 1957' v ZSheets-Sheet 1 v INVENTOR.

HIS ATTORNEY Feb. 24, 1959 A. J. FREI 2,874,552

FREEZING DEVICE Filed Nov. 12, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

0279/11) 1/. fi ei BY HIS ATTORNEY Unit States WWO? 2,874,552 FREEZINGDEVICE Arthur J. Frei, DaytonQOhio, assignor to General MotorsCorporation, Detroit, Mich., incorporation of Delaware ApplicationNovember 12, 195 7, Serial No. 695,758 I 17 Claims. (Cl, 62-4 4supported upon a support of a portable ice storage and serving bucket;usedfl-in :conjunction with a household refrigerator cabinet when'iceblocks are to be ejected from the device have, prior ,tothe presentdisclosure, been of a character which include ,anjelongated gridstructure locked in a rectangularly shaped tray. Such devices havenecessitated the use therewith ofajspecialor rectangular ice blockstorage and serving bucket and as far as I am aware no, one has made acircular unitaryfreezing device of this type for associationwithconventional portable 2,874,552 Patented Feb. 24,1955;

ice

showing ice blocks removed from the device into the bucket;

Figure 5 is a top view of the unitary freezing device similar to Figure1 with walls in the device moved to an ice block releasing position;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 6-6of Figure 3 showing notches in a leverage means of the freezing device;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 3showing notches in a wall retaining disk of the device;

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 8-8of Figure 2 showing a stud on the freezing device for locating same on aportable round ice bucket; and i Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentarysectionallview taken on the line 99 of Figure 2 showing a spring returnmeans for the lever of the freezing device. A

Referring to the drawings, for illustrating the invention, I show inFigure 1 thereof a refrigerating apparatus including an insulatedhousehold refrigerator cabinet 10 of the multiple chamber typeinconjunction with which a round portable ice bucket is used and isadapted to invertedly receive and support my improved freezing deviceslocated in the refrigerator. Cabinet 10 is provided with a lowerunfrozen food storage chamber 11 which is cooled to a temperature offrom, for'example, 37 to 43 F. by

round ice storage bucketsi I therefore contemplate, for

sundry reasons, the provisiorifof a circular unitary ice block freezingdevice forplacemerit in the freezing chamber of a household refrigeratorcabinet andjforinverted association with a circular su'pporton aroundice bucket when removed from the refrigerator whereby ice blockscan be released from the circular device into the round icebucket, v ,7L, I. l An obj ectpf my invention is to provide a unique circularunitary freezing device wherein ice blocks are frozen in compartmentsthereof .andnovelrneans for mechanically loosening or releasing the iceblocksfrorn such a shaped device. I H In carrying out the foregoingobject it is another object of my invention to construct ajunitarycircular ice block freezing device, with a leverage. mechanism forloosening orreleasing ice blocks from compartments thereof which extendsoutwardly beyond the periphery of the device to also ser as a ca yi g asth e orwhe e ya s t: like structure, that is il'yheldinanl'uprightposition while filling the device with water and is readilyhaiidl edduring the act of removing the devicefrorn a refrigerator and invertedlyplacing sarne onfa round ice bucket, is provided. W j 1 IFurther-objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference i being had to theaccompanying drawings, wherein a preferred term \of the presentinvention i l l hgwnh In thedrawings; I M. a

Figure 1 is a. front .view ofja household refrigerator cabinet showing around? p rtable ice block fjstoragefl and transfer bucketandfreezin'gdevicesof the present inven{ mm located in .thefreezing cornpartment.thereof; 1 v

Figure-2 isa top plan view of .a lunitary circular freezing deviceconstructed in accordance with the present inven-, in '5: L 1

Figure 3 ,is an enlarged sectional .view of, the freezingdevicedisclosed in Figure 2::andistakenon-thelline 33 thereof; 1: t Sw m'9 'I J v. ,Figure 4 is a sec'tiona'l view of the unitary" freezing aplate-like sheet metal evaporator 12 of a closed refrig' crating systemassociated with the cabinet. Evaporator 12 is secured to and spaced fromthe rear wall of chamber 11 in any suitable manner behind a concealingcover or baflle 13. Cabinet 10 is also provided with an upper or frozenfood storage chamber 14 which is cooled to a temperature well below 30F. for freezing foods and/or for freezing water in freezing devicestructures removably disposed in chamber 14 into ice blocks for tableuse in chillingsalads or the like and drinks in glasses. Chamber- 14 iscooled to the below freezing temperature by another evaporator 15 of therefrigerating system associated with cabinet 10. Evaporator 15 is in theform'of a conduit coiled or wrapped around the outside of and secured toa metal can-like member 16 forming the liner of chamber 14. An auxiliaryor inner door 17, shown broken away in Figure 1, is hingedly mounted atthe front of chamber 14 to provide aclosure for the access openingthereofas is now conventional inthe art. Another or larger insulatedmain door structure 18, hingedly mounted on cabinet 10 for horizontalswinging movement relative thereto, normally extends across the front ofboth chain: bers 11 and 14 and is provided with a resilient gasket 19 vfor sealingly engaging the front face of the refrigerator devicesupported 6n a" support of a round :iee': bucket cabinet. A plurality ofvertically spaced apart shelves 21 are secured, in any suitable ordesirable manner, to an upright side wall of liner 16 within chamber 14so as to be in metal-to-metal contact therewith and consequently withevaporator 15. Each shelf 21 is adapted to receive and support, in anupright position, a unitary circular freezing device generallyrepresented by thereference numeral 23 in Figure land shown moreclearlyin other figures of the drawings. .A substantially round portableice storage, transferring or serving bucket .generally indicated at 25in Figure 1 may be contained in chamber 14 oriif desired in chamber 11for use in receiving ice blocks ejected from any of the freezing devices23 while invertedly supported on the bucketwhen the bucket is Within therefrigerator cabinet or outside same. ,p

' Each of the unitary freezing devices 23 includes or comprises astamped sheet metalcircular pan or tray: 26' having a raisedcentralportion 27, inwardly of a downturned rim 28 therearound, providinginclined side walls 29 of an open-topped chamber'of arcuate shape in configuration and having a curved bottom wall (see Figures 2 and 3). Theopen-topped chamber may extend entirely around the axial center of tray26 but as herein disclosed, preferably for better release of ice blocks,terminates in inclined end walls'30 so as to be substantially C-shapedin planular appearance (see Figures 2 and 5). A plurality ofsubstantially inflexible walls 31 are directed laterally at differentangles from the axis or axial center of circular tray 26 across the opentop 'arcuate' shaped chamber in spaced apart upright relationship anddivide the interior thereof into'a curved row of compartments in whichwater is to be frozen into separated ice blocks. In order to provide aunitary freezing device the Walls 31 are locked to a device 23 againstdetachment therefrom and are so anchored in the tray 26 thereof as. tobe movable relative thereto angularly within the chamber. A flat ring32', beneath a substantially C-shaped retainer 33, is provided along itsinner edge withspaced apart wall receiving notches 34. A plurality ofstuds or rivets 36 are employed to secure the ring 32 and retainer 33 totray 26. A disk 37, secured to tray 26 at the axis or' axial centerthereof by a plurality of smaller rivets 38, is provided witha series ofspaced apart wall receiving notches 39 about its periphery (see Figure7.) A manually operable leverage means or force multiplying mechanism inthe form of a lever 41 is pivotally mounted to the raised portion 27 oftray 26 at the axis or axial center thereof by a large pin or rivet 42which also secures a cuplike retainer 43 over the lever 41. A circularedge portion of lever 41 about rivet 42 is also provided with a seriesof spaced apart wall engaging notches 44 therein (see Figure 6). Theopposed notches 3'4 and 39-44 receive upper ear portions 46 provided onthewalls 31 and the retainers 33 and 43 overlap the top of ears 46 tolock the plurality of walls 31 to a freezing device 23 againstdetachment therefrom in spaced apart upright relationship within thearcuate chamber in tray 26. This method of locking the walls 31 withintray 26 loosely anchors them therein for movement relative thereto aswill be hereinafter described. It is to be noted that at least two ofthe rivets 36 are provided with upstanding pin-like or peg-like portionsor projections 47 (see Figure 8) for a purpose to be presentlydescribed. The lever 41 of the manually operable means or mechanism isprovided with an end portion 48 extending outwardly from its mountedportion, pivoted at 42, beyond the peripheral rim 28 of tray 26 and hashandle means 49 secured thereto by rivets 51. The handle end of lever4I'serve's as a carrying means for a unitary freezing device 23, inskillet-like fashion, during the act of filling tray 26 with water andwhile placing a Water filled deviceon'a freezing shelf 21 and also uponremoving the device therefrom and from the refrigerator cabinet. A Stud52 riveted to lever 41, intermediate its handle ,end 48 and its portionmounted at 42, projects through aligned elongated openings 53 providedin tray 26 and ring 32 adjacent the rim 28 of the tray. Another stud 54is riveted to tray 26 in spaced relationship to an end of opening orslot 53 and a lever return spring 56 has its ends secured to the studs52 and 54 respectively (see Figure 9). The walls 31 are maintained in anormal ice block forming position as disclosed in Figure 2 of thedrawings and are adapted to be moved or shifted therefrom angularly intothe position shown in Figure 5 of the drawings by the manually actuatedlever 41. For example lever 41is rotated about its. pivotal mounting 42'relative to tray 26 so that anedge of notches 44 thereon'engage theinner cars 46 of walls 31 to move or angularly shift the plurality ofwalls within the arcuate shaped chamber of tray 26 of a unitary device23 for loosening ice blocks from their compartments. It being understoodthat, the, opposed notches 34 and 39 provided in ring 32 and disk .37respectively are so shaped as to. permit such angular movement of thewalls 31. It is also to be understood that the notches v44 in lever 41are cut to be progressively wider than one another around the edgethereof bounding its pivotal mounting 42 so as to engage the ears 46 onwalls 31 one after another in succession during a rotary movement of thelever. This breaks up the force required to move the walls 31 intoincrements and renders the ice block releasing operation easilyperformable.

While my circular unitary freezing devices 23 may be used along in amore or less conventional manner in conjunction with a refrigerator tofreeze water therein into ice blocks and to release ice blocks therefromthey are particularly adapted to be used in combination with a portableround ice bucket to be stored in the refrigerator or to be employed at apoint remote from the refrigerator. Thus the round ice bucket 25 isprovided with a circular shouldered recess 55 at the top thereof (seeFigure 4) which together with the top of the bucket forms a support forreceiving and supporting a unitary freezing device 23. This support 55is provided with a pair of spaced bores or apertures 57 which receivethe projections 47 on the two rivets 36 for holding a device 23 in astationary inverted supported position on the round bucket 25 againstmovement relative thereto during operation or rotation of lever 41. Itis to be understood that a unitary freezing device 23 may be invertedlysupported on the round bucket 25 for the release of ice blocks therefrominto the bucket while the bucket 25 is located in the freezing chamber14 of cabinet 10 and/or when the bucket'is removed from the refrigeratorcabinet and located at an ice block serving point remote thereto.

Assumethat the portable round bucket 25 is disposed in the chamber 14 ofrefrigerator cabinet 10, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, thatwater in an upright supported unitary freezing device 23 on a shelf orledge 21 in this chamber is hard-frozen into separated ice blocks andthat it is' now desired to harvest some ice blocks. Door 18 of cabinet10 and inner door 17 are opened to afford access to chamber 14. Aunitary freezing device 23 is removed from its freezing support inskillet-like fashion by the handle end of lever 41 of the device. Theremoved device 23, together with ice blocks therein, is rotated into aninverted position and placed on top of bucket 25 with stud projection 47on the two rivets 36 inserted into the bores or apertures 57 in theshoulder or recess 55 (see Figure '4) to prevent rotation of theinvertedly supported freezing device 23 relative to the bucket 25. Thisinvertedly placing of a freezing device structure 23 on bucket 25 may bedone While the bucket is disposed in chamber 14 of the refrigerator and/or when the bucket is supported on a dinner table or on a cocktailserving table located remote from the refrigerator cabinet. The handleend 48 of lever 41 of the leverage means or force multiplying mechanismis now grasped by the operators hand, while holding bucket 25 stationaryagainst rotation preferably by grasping a handle projection provided onthe bucket, and rotated about its pivotal mounting 42 at the axis oftray 26. One side edge of notches 44 on the round pivoted portion oflever 41-is rotated into engagement with the ice compartment walls 31onev after another in succession to rotate these walls in circularfashion whereby the walls are moved angularly within the arcuate shapedchamber of tray 26 (see Figure 5) to slide the walls 31 from ice blockswhereby a camming force is applied to the blocks for progressivelyloosening and mechanically releasing ice blocks from their compartmentsin the unitary freezing device invertedly supported on bucket 25 and theloosened ice blocks freely fall into the storage bucket (see Figure 4).The first wall 31, adjacent an inclined end 30 of the chamber in tray26, moved cams end ice blocks along chamber wall 30 and ejects same fromthe tray and the movement of the remainder of the walls one afteranother ejects other of the ice blocks from the inverted tray. Circularrotation of lever 41 about the axis or center of tray 26' is limited .bystud 52 carried thereon stopping against one end of elongated opening 53inthe tray and in the ring 32 (see Figure 5). Thus when the operatorreleases the handle end of lever 41, after 'ice blocks have beenremoved, return spring 56 moves the lever back to its original positionas shown in Figure 2 of the drawings and'consequently side edges ofnotches 44 on the lever shifts the Walls 31 back to their normal iceblock compartment forming position.

From the foregoing it should be apparent that I have provided a novelunitary ice block freezingjdevic'e and a unique arrangement forreleasing ice'bloclcsi'froni a ci'ran appearance unlike arrangements ofother competitors.

While I have provided a new"fr'eezin'gdeviceelement I have alsoprovideda novel' combination thereof with a round portable icebucketeitherwhen the bucketis within a refrigerator cabinet and/or whenit is located exteriorly thereof.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosedconstitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted as may come within the scope of the claims whichfollow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A unitary freezing device comprising, a circular tray having anarcuate shaped open top chamber about the axial center thereof, aplurality of substantially inflexible walls directed laterally from saidtray center across the chamber in spaced apart upright relationship,said walls dividing the interior of said chamber into a curved row ofcompartments in which water is to be frozen into ice blocks, said wallsbeing locked to said device against detachment therefrom and anchored inthe tray for movement relative thereto, and a manually operablemechanism on said device having portions thereof engageable with saidwalls for moving them within said chamber about their anchorage toloosen ice blocks from said compartments.

2. A device as defined by claim 1 wherein a stop means on the traythereof is engageable by a part of the mechanism and limits movement ofthe walls.

3. A device as defined by claim 1 wherein the portions of the mechanismare engageable with the walls one after another to move them insuccession around the arcuate shaped chamber for progressively looseningice blocks from their compartments.

4. A unitary freezing device comprising, a circular tray having anarcuate shaped open top chamber about the axial center thereof, aplurality of substantially inflexible walls directed laterally from saidtray center across the chamber in spaced apart upright relationship,said walls dividing the interior of said chamber into a curved row ofcompartments in which water is to be frozen into ice blocks, said wallsbeing locked to said device against detachment therefrom and anchored inthe tray for movement relative thereto, leverage means pivotally mountedupon said device for rotation with respect thereto in a horizontal planeparalleling said tray, and said leverage means having portions thereofdirectly engageable with said walls for moving them within said chamberabout their anchorage'to loosen ice blocks from said compartments.

5. A device as defined by claim 4 wherein a stop on the tray isengageable by the leverage means and limits rotation thereof andconsequently movement of the walls.

6. A device as defined by claim 4 wherein the portions of the leveragemeans engage and move the walls one arcuate shaped open top chamberabout the axial center movement of the walls.

tray having an arcuateshaped open top chamber about the axialcenterthereof, a plurality of substantially inflexible'walls directedlaterally from said tray center across the chamber in-spacedapartupright relationship, said walls dividing the interior of said chamberinto a curved row of compartments in which water is to be frozen intoice blocks, said walls being locked to said device against detachmenttherefrom and anchored in the tray for movement relative thereto, alever pivotally mounted upon the device at said tray center and having ahandle end extending outwardly therefrom beyond the periphery of thetray serving as a carrying means for said unitary device, said leverbeing rotatable about its mounting with respect to said tray by swingingits handle end in ahorizontaLplane paralleling the tray, and said leverhaving portions thereon directly engageable with said walls for movingthem within said chamber about their anchorage to loosen ;ic eblocksfrom said compartments.

g 8. ,A device as defined by claim? wherein a stop on the tr a y isengageable by. a part of the handle end of the. lever and limitsrotation. thereof and consequently 9. .A device as defined by claim 7wherein the portions on the lever engage and move the walls one afteranother in succession.

10. A unitary freezing device comprising, a circular tray having itsaxial center portion raised and providing an arcuate shaped open topchamber therearound, a plurality of substantially inflexible wallsdirected laterally from the center of said tray across said chamber inspaced apart relationship, said walls dividing the interior of saidchamber into a curved row of compartments in which water is to be frozeninto ice blocks, said walls being locked to said device againstdetachment therefrom and anchored in the tray for movement relativethereto, leverage means pivotally mounted upon the device at said raisedaxial center portion of the tray for rotation with respect thereto, saidleverage means having a handle end extending beyond the periphery ofsaid tray serving as a carrying means for the unitary device, saidleverage means being rotatable about its mounting with respect to saidtray by swinging its handle end in a horizontal plane. paralleling thetop of said device, and said leverage means having portions thereofdirectly engageable with said walls for moving them within said chamberabout their anchorage to loosen ice blocks from said compartments.

11. A device as defined by claim 10 wherein a stop on the tray isengageable by a part of the handle end of the leverage means and limitsrotation thereof and consequently movement of the walls.

12. In combination, a round portable ice bucket provided with a circularfreezing device support thereon adapted to selectively store ice blocksin a refrigerator or for transferring ice blocks therefrom to a servingpoint remote thereto, a unitary freezing device normally located in therefrigerator including a circular tray having an thereof, a plurality ofsubstantially inflexible walls directed laterally fromsaid tray centeracross said chamber in spaced apart upright relationship and dividingthe interior thereof into a curved row of compartments in which water isto be frozen into ice blocks, said walls being locked to said deviceagainst detachment therefrom and anchored in the tray thereof formovement relative thereto, said unitary freezing device also including aleverage means pivotally mounted upon its tray at said axial centerthereof and engageable with said walls, said unitary freezing devicetogether with ice blocks therein being removable from the refrigeratorand receivable in an inverted position on said circular support of theround portable ice bucket when same is within and/ or without therefrigerator, said leverage means being rotatable relative to the trayof said invertedly supported unitary freezing device for moving saidwalls within said chamber with respect'thereto whereby to mechanicallyrelease 7 ice blocks from their compartments into said bucket, and meansfor holding the tray of said invertedly supported unitary freezingdevice stationary on the circular support of said round bucket againstmovement relative thereto during rotation of the leverage means.

13. The combination defined by claim 12 wherein the leverage meansengages the walls one after another in succession to progressivelyrelease ice blocks from thei compartments. 7

14. The combination defined by claim 12 wherein the leverage means has ahandle portion extending beyond the periphery of the circular tray ofthe freezing device serving as a carrying means therefor.

15. A freezing device comprising, a circular tray having an arcuateshaped chamber about the axis thereof, a plurality of substantiallyinflexible walls directed laterally from said tray axis across thechamber in spaced apart upright relationship, said walls dividing theinterior of said chamber into a curved row of ice block compartments inwhich water is to be frozen into separated ice blocks, and meanspivotally mounted on said device for rotation about the axis of saidtray engageable with-said References Cited in the file of this patentUNITED STATES PATENTS 1,067,356 Ljungstrom July 15, 1913 2,065,318Lawrence Dec. 22, 1936 2,241,313 Miner May 6, 1941 2,275,522 Geyer Mar.10, 1942 2,629,987 Chase Mar. 3, 1953 2,677,968 Hubner May 11, 19542,808,708 Sharpe Oct. 8, 1957

